Exotica expert and fanatic Jeff Chenult first heard about the elusive HAWAIIAN SPOTLIGHTERS album called Mauna Kea Breeze in 2015. A copy came up on eBay which he bid for, and won. Shortly thereafter he set out to locate group member Al Pabilona or any of his musical family who were still around. He found Al’s profile on Facebook; still playing music with his daughter Olivia in a band called THE GOOD VIBES DUO/UNDERTOW. What luck! To say Al was surprised would be an understatement. He was gracious, kind and awestruck that we wanted to release a record that he had recorded with his father over fifty years ago! Al Jr. was only 13 years old when he played drums on this record. They were originally called AL’S SPOTLIGTHERS and played at clubs, weddings and other events in Hilo, Hawaii. The family later moved to California. In 1964, Al Pabilona Sr. recorded his musical family inside their garage in Hayward, California. Each family member played an integral part of the band with Bill Pabilona composing the title track “Mauna Kea Breeze”.

A reported 200 copies of the original album were made by the Century Custom label, a vinyl manufacturer that catered to private pressings. Today, only a handful of these exist, making this one of the rarest exotica records ever recorded! The audio has been lovingly restored by the legendary Dana Countryman (Cool and Strange Music Magazine, co-conspirator with the late JEAN JAQUES PERREY among others) and cut using a tube system, vintage Scully lathe and Westrex cutting head at HRS in Culver City, CA. The reissued LP features cover photography by Jochen Hirschfeld, producer of The DVD of Tiki. Red vinyl too!!

ALL THREE AVAILABLE FROM DIONYSUS MAIL ORDER – Links to each LP at the end of each description.

The Beachcomber Trio “Live at Kahiki 1965” limited blue vinyl repress
Previously unreleased until 2010, this long-awaited LP is a live recording of the house band at the legendary Kahiki restaurant. It’s like you are sitting at the bar enjoying a Mai Tai while listening to Marsh Padilla and company play a set of Latin Jazz/Hawaiian/Lounge inspired exotica! First pressing of 500 on black vinyl sold out shortly after release. This is a limited re-pressing of 485 copies on blue vinyl! Purchase here

The Avengers VI “Real Cool Hits” limited white vinyl repress
The Avengers VI were a clean-cut surf band from Anaheim, Calif., whose one and only album, Real Cool Hits, was issued in 1966 as a promo for Good Humor ice cream. The group’s name wasn’t even mentioned on the original cover although it was pictured on the kick drum. The group’s repertoire, which encompassed covers of popular surf instrumentals, mood music, movie themes and some first rate originals, attracted both teens and adults to their appearances in southern California. The long-out of print Bacchus Archives vinyl reissue has itself become collectible, bringing prices of $30 and up, which is why we’ve decided to repress this gem, in an edition of 500 on white vinyl! Purchase here

The Surf Teens “Surf Mania” limited clear vinyl repress
A reissue of the fantastic, but hopelessly rare 1963 album by Central Californian teens under the guidance of The Revels’ Norman Knowles. Includes five previously unreleased tracks and takes from master tapes and one from a rare 45! The Bacchus Archives LP has been out of print for a number of years. This is a clear vinyl repress in an edition of 500! Purchase here

On my very first episode of Over Under Sideways Down on LuxuriaMusic.com, I featured the legendary Manny Freiser, writer of the ’60s garage nugget “Let’s Talk About Girls,” member of the Grodes and Tongues of Truth as well as a very active producer and writer during Tucson’s bustling local scene in the 1960s. It was my first attempt at live radio as host and engineer and the show proved to be a battleground of train-wrecks. It’s a good thing that not many heard it and that it wasn’t podcasted. Now that the show listener-ship is up by huge percentage points (thanks to all 72 of you) we are going to give it another shot – this Wednesday, 11/7 at 3-5 pm. Tune in for informative banter, radio commercials and a stack of awesome vinyl featuring the 1960s Tucson Sound! If you miss it, we’ll post a podcast on this site shortly after!

In the late ’70s LA punk scene, Detroit/Los Angeles transplants The Dogs were considered too rock for the punks and to punk for the rockers – when their “Slash Your Face” 7″ EP was included on the legendary Killed By Death bootleg in 1987, their stature rose among records collectors with good reason – the band played aggressive MC5, Stooges, early Alice Cooper inspired motor city rock ‘n’ roll. The original line-up of The Dogs still play shows here and there – if you have a chance, go see them!

Dionysus Records has repressed the Bacchus “Fed Up” LP containing 12 Dogs tracks recorded between 1976 – 1977 and one track recorded in 1987, on white vinyl with a free digital download code in an edition of 500 copies. Click here to purchase. The album includes the tracks:

John Rock & Roll Sinclair (Studio Version) Slither Sleaze City Black Tea Younger Point Of View Fed Up Shakin’ All Over Tuff Enuff Slash Your Face Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl John Rock & Roll Sinclair (Live Version) Years Gone By Dog In The Cathouse

Jeff Chenault Presents
Exotica Ole’
from Quiet Village to Latin Village

Senor Chenault returns to the Tiki Oasis with an all-new Exotica presentation. This time with a Latin twist! You will learn about Exotica’s success in the pop world as well as the significant Latin Jazz artists that helped shape the genre. Join us as we go south of the border with George Shearing, Cal Tjader, Jack Costanzo, and Eddie Cano. As Jeff exclaims: “Exotica music and Latin-Jazz share such a close relationship, that sometimes the only difference is the bird calls.”
As an added bonus Jeff will host a Q & A session with legendary percussionist Jack Costanzo. One of Hollywood’s greatest session players. Jack aka/ “Mr. Bongo” has had an illustrious career that spans over 60 years and counting! Besides his own albums Jack has recorded with Stan Kenton, Billy May, Perez Prado, Pete Rugolo and Xavier Cugat to name just a few. The Tiki Oasis is honored to have such a distinguished guest. Join us as we bust out the bongos!

Jeff Chenault is a Music Historian, Writer and Exotica DJ. He is also a staff writer for Tiki Magazine and is currently producing a series of rare Exotica music for Dionysus Records.

In 2002, Bacchus Archives relased a 12″vinyl slab and CD consisting of the eight known recordings by Los Angeles ’60s garage legends, The Preachers, known best for their OVER THE TOP version of “Who Do You Love” which was originally unearthed on an early Pebbles compilation. Only 500 copies of the 12″ were pressed which sold out a few years ago. We’ve finally repressed this LOUD slab of garage goodness, which also has photos and an excellent interview with Preacher’s keyboardist Rudy Garza on the back cover. Order the vinyl here ororder the CD here – and enjoy this amazing video of The Preachers live on the Shivaree show in 1965!

The Bacchus Archives reissue of Geza X’s “You Goddam Kids”has been out of print for almost two years – the album has been repressed in an edition of 500 on yellow vinyl and includes a digital download coupon! Click here to order the record.

Geza X has been an important fixture on the California punk/new wave scene for many years as a producer/writer/engineer for countless artists, from Josie Cotton to the Dead Kennedys. As an artist, however, he doesn’t resemble most of those he’s worked with at all: You Goddamn Kids! is delightful, off-the-wall, adventurous, complex and humorous. The studio pro uses sound effects and treated vocals to enhance his music, much of which might well appeal to fans of, say, the Residents. – Charles P. Lamey – Trouser Press

This classic post Masque-era album is the unique work of former Deadbeats, Mommymen member and producer GEZA X with quite the cast of original Los Angeles punk scene luminaries as contributing musicians including Brendan Mullen, Paul Roessler, D.J. Bonebrake, Josie Cotton, Don Bolles and others! Utilizing the unique “Gezatone” guitar with a screechy vocal style and warped sense of humor, this album delivers early ‘80s classics such as “We Need More Power” and “Isotope Soap” as heard on the “Let Them Eat Jellybeans” and “Rodney On The Roq” compilations.

All three original members of the legendary Detroit / LA transplants, The Dogs performing, “Fed UP” at The Masque reunion in 2007. It has been a little over a year since Masque founder Brendan Mullen passed away. Think good thoughts for Brendan and thank him for his contributions to music and journalism – punk rock in particular – they are plentiful. Do a Google search on his name if you want to know more.

Experience an exotic evening at the famous Kahiki Supper Club, a legendary and now defunct “Tiki Temple” in Columbus Ohio with The Beachcomber Trio, the house band who filled the restaurant’s Music Bar with a unique Latin Jazz/Hawaiian/Lounge hybrid. Like many restaurant albums released in the ‘60s, this recording brings back the excitement of a small live audience with cocktails in hand and even includes the sound of the bar’s waterfall adding to the unique environmental experience. Listen now to the sound of a night out inside of the greatest Polynesian restaurants in the world. This previously unreleased tape was for years in the possession of trio leader Marsh Padilla and recently presented to exotica musicologist Jeff Chenault who put the release together for Bacchus Archives. This is a strictly limited edition of 500 on vinyl LP which comes with a digital download code. The mastering and cutting was done strictly in the analog realm by our pal Len Horowitz at HRS (History of Recorded Sound) in Culver City, CA.